Why Does Gratitude Help with Depression?

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude. - Ralph Waldo Emerson 

It’s holiday time. Tomorrow many of us will gather with friends and family. Where gratitude and thankfulness fill our hearts.

Stopping to give seasonal thanks is a wonderful thing, but what’s even better is practicing gratitude year round. In fact, studies show that consistent positive interactions, particularly ones that involve gratitude, increase happiness and decrease depression.

So, what are the gratitude techniques research says help alleviate depression? 

Here are 7 that can help you all year!

1) Gratitude visit – Deliver a letter of gratitude in writing or email to a person you are grateful to, but have not thanked appropriately.

2) Three good things - Write down three things that had gone well for you this week and an explanation why those things happened. 

3) Using signature strengths in a new way – Use one of your best strengths in a new way every week. 

4) Three funny things - Write down three funny things you experienced or did this week - and an explanation why those things happened. 

5) Counting kindness - Count and report the acts of kindness you offer every day. Or the ones you receive every day. 

6) Gift of time - Offer at least three ‘‘gifts of time’’ by contacting/meeting three persons about whom you care about each week. 

7) One door closes, another door opens - Write about a moment in your life this week when a negative event led to unforeseen positive consequences. 

So, why do these gratitude experiences boost happiness and alleviate depression? The insight and reflection of counting these moments is what makes the practice of gratitude so powerful. But the key to combating depression is making these positive experiences part of the fabric of your life.

You don’t have to do all of these techniques. Do some. Or one. Just get out there and be grateful.

Click here to see the essential oils that can help battle depression.

We Are Thankful Sale! November 20-23 Only

We Are Thankful Sale! November 20-23 Only

We are having a Thankful Sale! For 4 days only, get 15% off your entire purchase at Purify Skin Therapy!  This includes all of the Certified Organic & Wildcrafted Essential Oils, as well as the blends and Skin Care. 

Use coupon code: THANKFUL

Looking for some ideas? Holiday meals can be rich and cause digestive issues. Try our Digestion Blend for immediate relief! 

Are you traveling, or will you be around a lot of people over the Holidays? Our Immune Trilogy Pack can help you build immunity and stay healthy! 

Winter skin can drive you crazy, especially the dry spots and flakiness. Our Ultimate Purifying Skincare System can help!

Remember to stock up so that you have what you need to get you through the winter!

www.purifyskintherapy.com

What is Asthma and Who Gets It?

What is Asthma and Who Gets It? 

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. It causes recurring periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. The coughing often occurs at night or early in the morning.

Asthma affects people of all ages, but it most often starts during childhood. In the United States, more than 25 million people are known to have asthma. About 7 million of these people are children. Children with asthma can often struggle at school if it is triggered, especially during allergy season. Research in the UK has said that baby medicine can cause a greater risk of asthma.

To understand asthma, it helps to know how the airways work. The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of your lungs. People who have asthma have inflamed airways. The inflammation makes the airways swollen and very sensitive. The airways tend to react strongly to certain inhaled substances.

When the airways react, the muscles around them tighten. This narrows the airways, causing less air to flow into the lungs. The swelling also can worsen, making the airways even narrower. Cells in the airways might make more mucus than usual. Mucus is a sticky, thick liquid that can further narrow the airways.

This chain reaction can result in asthma symptoms. Symptoms can happen each time the airways are inflamed.  Treatment of asthma has two aspects: management of acute attacks and long-term control or prevention. Conventional treatments are sometimes the best choices for acute attacks, where immediate relief can be a life-and-death matter.

This essential oil blend was formulated to aid in the relief of asthma attacks.

At the very first sign of symptoms, drop 2-3 drops into the palm of your hands, rub hands together, and cup them over your nose and mouth and breathe deeply.

Or drop 2-3 drops onto a cotton ball or Kleenex and hold this right under the nose and inhale deeply.

Also drop 7 drops down the spine and gently rub into the spinal area.

All About Tea Tree Oil

All About Tea Tree Oil 

The aborigines of Australia were the first to discover the healing properties of tea tree oil thousands of years ago. They treated cuts, burns, and skin infections by crushing the leaves of the tree and applying them to cuts and injuries. In the 1770s, the British explorer Captain Cook observed the native Australians brewing tea from the leaves. He then brewed tea of his own to give to his crew to prevent scurvy. He coined the name tea tree.

Our beautiful certified organic Tea Tree essential oil comes to us from Australia. Tea Tree is a part of the Melaleuca family, which means it has great antibacterial, antiviral, anti fungal, and antiparacitic properties. Historically it has been used for disinfecting and wound healing, it is also a powerful immune stimulant.

In the 1920s, Australian physicians began to use the oil to clean wounds and prevent infections after surgery. In 1923 an Australian government scientist, Dr. A. R. Penfold, conducted a study of Tea Tree essential oil and found it to be 12 times stronger as an antiseptic bactericide than carbolic acid (the current standard). Average Australians then began to use the oil as a household remedy for skin conditions and fungus infections. During World War II, tea tree oil was included in the first-aid kits given to all Australian soldiers and sailors.

According to the British Medical Journal in 1933 Tea Tree essential oil is a "powerful disinfectant, non-poisonous, and non-irritating". Tea Tree is treasured as having unrivaled anti-infectious properties. After the discovery of penicillin and other antibiotics in the late 1940s, tea tree oil went out of favor as an antiseptic until the 1980s, when it was discovered that some bacteria were resistant to certain antibiotics, such as methicillin and vancomycin.